The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has released its annual crash statistics, revealing that statewide crashes in Pennsylvania increased nearly 12% from 2020 to 2021.
What were the top causes of crashes in Pennsylvania this past year? Intersection crashes represented the greatest number at 43,647. Close behind at 41,884 were crashes involving single vehicles run off the road. There were 34,267 crashes involving vehicles that hit fixed objects. Lane departures accounted for 33,738 of the crashes. In each of these cases, the 2021 numbers were greater than the previous year, sometimes substantially so as with intersection crashes, which jumped more than 13%.
Other statistics of interest included distracted driving crashes, which increased from 10,826 to 12,741. Alcohol-related crashes rose from 7,468 to 9,220. Crashes involving older drivers, ages 65-74, increased from 10,474 to 12,877, and those involving younger drivers ages 16-17 also rose from 4,952 to 6,375. Motorcyclist crashes increased from 3,256 to 3,580. Speeding crashes rose from 4,002 to 4,322. There were 1,649 work zone crashes in 2021 compared to 1,415 in 2020. Vehicle failure contributed to 5,951 crashes in 2021 as compared to a similar 5,510 the previous year.
While the number and types of crashes and causes fluctuate from year to year, one thing never changes: if someone else’s negligence caused your car accident in Pennsylvania, you can sue to recover your losses. Please reach out to us to discuss your case and see if we can help.